HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-03-17 Public Comment - B. Stoddart- Black OliveHi All, I thought I'd share some final thoughts on the B O project. I will spare everyone
by not reading this tonight, but there may be something in here worth adding to the
conversation.
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you
criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.” - Jack Handey,
American humorist
Handey’s quote on empathy reflects that one’s understanding of the experiences of another is
essential (and can be humorous as well) – but we don’t seem to see much empathy these days.
Take the guy in the big truck who revs his engine to make a turn while the older woman with a
walker struggles to cross the street. Or the person struck by a car in the parking lot who didn’t
have a single person, including the people who hit them, ask that person if they were okay. And
on the national and international stage, the idea that someone else actually matters is pretty far
removed from the conversation.
While Monday night’s discussion about the Black Olive project will focus on the impact of a
specific project in a specific neighborhood, it seems we are actually trying to solve for a closely
related, but different problem.
As a friend expressed to me the other day, there are people who want to help create community
and there are those who move there to profit from it. The individuals in these disparate groups
certainly overlap, and the mix of personalities and motives has always been part of the fabric of
Bozeman and many other communities as well. But the air in Bozeman has changed since the
early 1990s, as I’m sure it changed over the preceding decades – and with that change has come
a gale of opportunity accompanied by the sense that folks better hoist their sails or get out of the
way.
To oversimplify, this project at Black and Olive has entrenched two camps: those who want their
neighborhoods with front porches and pedestrian-friendly streets that allow people the time and
space to engage in meaningful ways; and those who believe maximizing the allowable use of the
urban zone in which a given project lies is the best way to address growth in Bozeman and build
our community in a responsible and sustainable way.
Both views are correct.
The commission has the unenviable task of reconciling many years of history with many vocal
personalities. And legally, their position is somewhat circumscribed by decisions made by those
who preceded them – in this case having the B-3 urban development district and an R-2
historical district on adjacent property lines, which all of us could probably agree just isn’t good
planning.
Despite their difficult position, the commission can rule upon the spirit and intended use of this
project as it relates to the surrounding neighborhoods and landscape. The commission can also
determine if there is sufficient infrastructure and/or alternatives to existing infrastructure, such as
managing traffic patterns on Mendenhall and Babcock streets, or encouraging certain design
features, that could help mitigate the less neighborly aspects of such a large infill project.
Unfortunately, we have reached a point with the Black Olive project where someone or some
group will be unhappy with the decision the commissioners make.
Recognizing this, we could all do with a bit of empathy, because in many ways this project is
bigger than the community itself. If we don’t work to see the world from someone else’s
perspective, we’ll not only miss out on tremendous opportunities to enrich our own experience,
we’ll find our community will continue to go the way of the places many of us came from, where
pavement has replaced farmland, where people don’t look one another in the eye, much less say
hello or smile, and where the automobile and other faceless technologies drive daily interaction.
Regardless of what is built at the corner of Black and Olive, this is the future we are facing here
in our small, previously undiscovered burg. It remains incumbent on all of us who believe in our
community to make sure this project, whatever the outcome, further encourages us to take the
time to talk with our neighbors and be present as we continue to work together to build a
community of shared experience and personal connection.
Best regards - and thank you for your commitment to our town!
Bill
Bill Stoddart, Founder and President
NorthFork Financial, LLC
201 S Wallace Ave, Suite B3F
P.O. Box 965
Bozeman, MT 59771
406.579.0334 phone
800.993.9501 fax
www.northforkfinancial.com
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